[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 182 (Tuesday, December 15, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE 240TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NAVY CHAPLAIN CORPS

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                          HON. J. RANDY FORBES

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 15, 2015

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize the 240th 
anniversary of the Navy Chaplain Corps. For 240 years, Navy chaplains 
have served with honor, courage, and selflessness, ensuring that our 
Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen are able to practice and grow in 
their faith, regardless of where they serve.
  Our Navy chaplains are an invaluable pillar of their military 
communities. The role of a chaplain is inherently religious. As the 
makeup of our service members has expanded, the chaplaincy has expanded 
with it to include representatives reflecting the many faith traditions 
of our troops, including Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and 
Buddhist. When religious leaders become military chaplains, they pledge 
to equally serve all members of the armed forces, regardless of 
religious belief. Chaplains faithfully carry out this sacred duty each 
and every day.
  While military chaplains are noncombatants and do not carry weapons, 
they still serve in harm's way. Sixteen Navy chaplains have given their 
lives providing religious and spiritual support for our men and women 
at war. Two Navy chaplains were awarded the Congressional Medal of 
Honor for their sacrificial ministry to their Sailors and Marines. 
Lieutenant Commander Joseph T. O'Callahan braved a fiery inferno to 
administer last rites and direct damage control operations aboard the 
stricken USS Franklin in 1945. Lieutenant Vincent R. Capodanno 
repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire in Vietnam while 
administering last rites to dead and dying Marines, refusing treatment 
of his own wounds and directing corpsmen to his wounded comrades, 
before being killed while coming to the aide of another. Six naval 
ships have been named after chaplains with one, the destroyer USS 
Laboon, still in service.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me today in recognizing 
the brave and honorable service of Navy chaplains over the last 240 
years.

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